I think an interesting one is the Marks down few amount of -35. Teams have caught onto our strategy of trying to keep possession of the ball through heaps of short kicks to a teammate (who is leading hard), they now are manning up our guys more often not allowing these "cheap" marks around the ground which slows us down. And then allows them to flood more and shutdown our options of marks further down the ground too.
This combination along with our players perhaps not running hard enough to present the extra options & our players not taking risks with the ball when the moments present is affecting both these stats (low kicks & marks). I unlike some others I'm okay with the backwards kicking and being patient in build up play, switching to other side of ground but our lack of courage to take the game on when needed and break it open is concerning. We should have strong enough leaders out there and SMART players who can make these brave decisions.
Heaps of kicks and marks seemed to be the game plan from the first few weeks but we've been found out and don't seem to have a back up plan or the smart enough players to as a collective group to realise when to pull the trigger and when to hold in all cohesion we look like a bunch of players playing their own game. Also Bomba said in presser last night something like our players are playing like the way they feel, rather than watching/reading the game and acting accordingly.
And lastly what's also concerning other the kicking and marking is that just most stats are down.
Hmmm … rounds 1-3 Essendon were at the top of their game. Rounds 4-7 they’ve been struggling.
It was interesting that Essendon, for the first time this year (it was fairly even possession count against Freo), lost the possession count to the Dogs.
Wonder whether Bomber’s made some adjustment or does it say more about how well the Dogs played
One thing is certain, Essendon are struggling and no game, no game can be taken for granted (Saints)
Hate to be that guy, but honestly the only thing I can see that might have explain why we have swung so dramatically in our performance is that ASADA must be trying to stitch up players with some bullshit phony charge.
I really cannot find another reason other than that and honestly I wont accept any other excuse for the ■■■■ performances we have been putting up.
I bought into the flu excuse for freo and St.Kilda but that was 4 weeks ago and we had a 8 day break we realistically should have smashed the dogs by 30-60 points this week.
Hate to be that guy, but honestly the only thing I can see that might have explain why we have swung so dramatically in our performance is that ASADA must be trying to stitch up players with some bullshit phony charge.
I really cannot find another reason other than that and honestly I wont accept any other excuse for the **** performances we have been putting up.
I bought into the flu excuse for freo and St.Kilda but that was 4 weeks ago and we had a 8 day break we realistically should have smashed the dogs by 30-60 points this week.
If what some are saying really happened and players lost 4kgs over that week as a result of the flu, wouldn't it have reversed a lot of preseason work?
as good as it is that you went to all that trouble dissecting the stats, we all know we have been struggling the last 4 weeks, didn't need stats to prove it, we just don't know definately why, yet.
Especially Goddard , effectively missing Rounds 4-6. Ryder, missing Rounds 4-5. That's two of our most important players simply not playing with our most important player, Watson, in quite subdued form.
Goddard plays and Jobe's output returns to normal (i.e. about 10+ more possessions each game) then that's 35, mainly good quality, possessions improvement already. And when they get the ball it brings others into the game and those players' disposal count grows.
Really, we have been crap for a few weeks yet the Top 8 is well within grasp.
Goddard & Ryder back - just need Jobe to hit his straps.
Easy explanation. Teams are playing man on man, meaning no easy uncontested disposals. We have struggled because we are not a quick team and our disposal has been off due to pressure. We don’t have a plan ‘B’
Listening to Voss, he reckons Essendon lack outside run. This morning Wallace was scathing in his assessment of the team being ‘soft’, backing off when the going gets tough. He based this on the contested possession count of recent games.
There’s no doubt when Essendon are prepared to work hard they’re a dynamic team (the North game; quarters here and there). Their discrepancy in games is hard to fathom. Is that about the personnel (a number of young kids), the fact Daniher/Carlisle aren’t kicking goals or as Wallace claims a reluctance of the team to get their hands dirty for the whole game?
Irrespective, supporters can’t tip Essendon with any confidence at this stage of their development
You could excuse the way we play if the team were filled with a bunch of kids but we have quite a mature line up. The players have just not worked hard enough this year.